Fuel supply system



March 15, 1932 0. N. l -"HlLLlPs ,8

FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed Feb. 27, 1950 Maid; 15, 193;.

o. N. PHILLIPS 1,849,590

FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM lfiled Feb. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedMarwl5, 1 932 'UNITED STATES- ORON NZ P HILLIPS, OF REYNOLDS, ILLINOISFUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM Application filed February 27, 1930; Serial Ito.431,888.

This invention aims to provide a fuel supply system for an internalcombustion engine which will afiord a smooth pressure at all times, thefuel being furnished at a pressure t which increases with the velocityof the motor until a maximum degree. Another object of the invention isto provi'le a fuel supply system which is not dependent upon gravity,the properamount of fuel being pumped l9 into the motor at any speed.

llt is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the presehtinventionappertains.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details or" construction hereinafterdescribed m and claimed, it being understood that changes may be made inthe precise embodimentof the invention herein disclosed, within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. 1 In the drawings Figure 1 shows in elevation, a systemconstructed in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away,and parts being in section;

Figure 2 is a sectional View nozzle and attendant parts;

Figure 3 is a sectional detail of the vent valve; j

Figure 4 is a vertical section disclosing the valve which maintains aconstantlevel in the tank;

showing the Figure 5 is a plan of the valve base of F ig- Figure 6 is aplan showing part of the valve mechanism at the top of the mainfueltank;

Figure 7 is a section of the valve at the top of the main fuel tank. v

The numeral 1 marks the main fuel supply tank for an internal combustionengine used in connection with an aeroplane, auto, or

other instrumentality that requires a motor. of the sort alluded to. At2, there appears av pump which is driven, preferably, bythe cam shaft 3of the engine 4. An auxiliary tank, or filter tank, issupported at 6 inany convenient place, the tank 5 often being placed under the hood, inan automobile. Th7e dashboard of the. automobile is shown at Referringto Figure 1, in comparison with Figure 4, it will be seen that a floatvalve mechanism 8 is located on the bottom of the main fuel tank 1. Thefloat valve mecha nism 8 embodies a base 9 having outstanding lugs 10'onits edge. The base 9 is supplied with upstanding guides 11 surrounding apassage 12 which extends downwardly through a reduced neck 14 on thebase 9. The neck 14 projects through a hole 15 in the bottom of the tank1, and a nut 16 is threaded on the neck, to afford a tight joint, and tohold the float valve 'mechanism 8 in place, the bottom of the tank 1being bound hermetically between the base 9 and the nut 16, A pipe-17leads from the neck 14"to the pump 2, which, preferably, is of the'sortshown in my co-pending applica tion, Serial No. 441,618, filed April 4,1930.

The float valve mechanism 8 embodies a casing 18 having bayonet slots 19adapted to' receive the lugs 10 on the base 9, a secure but releasableconnection between the parts 9 and 18 thus being afforded. The casing 18has longitudinal openings 20 and is surrounded by a fine-mesh screen 21.A float 22 is mounted for reciprocation in the casing 18and'substantially fills the casing, so far as cross sec tion isconcerned. The float 22 has an upper stem 23 which is guided in anaperture 24 in the top of the casing 18. The float 22 is supplied with alower stem 25 carrying a valve 26 mounted to slide within the guides 11of the base 9. The valve 26 has a tapered end 27 which seats onthe base9 at the upper end of the passage 12.

A check valve mechanism 28 is mounted on the top of the main fuel tank1, as shown in Figure '1, the check valve mechanism possessing sundrydetails of structure which have been made the subject of illustration inFigures 6 and 7.

The check valve mechanism 28 comprises a foot 29, in the form of aplate, having a cavity in its bottom, the foot 29 being secured to thetop of the tank 1, with the cavity a in the head 33 and the body 32,around the bore 36, the passages communicating at their lower ends withthe cavity 30, and at their upper endswith the chamber 35 withinthe cap34. A check valve, for instance, .a ball 40, rests on the seat 37 underthe compulsion of a compression spring 41 bearing at its upper endagainst the cap '34, and at its lower enditagainst the valve 40. Bymeans of a coupling 42, one end of a pipe 43 is held in the inlet 38,and by means of a nut 44, the opposite end of the pipe is heldto anelbow 45 which is in communication with the tank I 5 through the top ofthe tank, the elbow 45 being external to a filter ba 46 arried by thetop of the tank 5, the filler b g preferabl being made of chamois skin.

. n F igure'2, it appears that a nozzle 47 is seated removably in thehorizontal portion of the elbow 45,- the nozzle having a bore 48, andbeing provided with a foot 49 that bears agaist the end of the nozzle45. The pipe 43 is flared at 50 to fit against the foot 49' of thenozzle 47, or against the end of the nozzle 45, and the parts specifiedare held together by a packing 51 (metallic or otherwise) within the nut44 and engaged by the end wall 52 of the nut.-

A,pipe 53 is connected at one end tothe pump 2, and is connected at theopposite end to an elbow 54 mounted in the top of the tank 5 and.discharging into the filter bag 46, hereinbefore mentioned.

Avvent pipe 55 is provided and may-be of approximately-rectangular form,one end of the vent pipe communicating with the tank 5 through the topof the tank, and the other end of the pipe projecting toward thedashboard 7. There is a cap 56 on the horizontal end of the pipe 55, andthe pipe 55 has a slide opening 57 located closely adjacent to the cap56, the opening 57 being under the governance of a valve 58 threaded inthe cap 56 and journaled in the dashboard 7, the valve 58 being suppliedwith a turning button 59 disposed within convenient reach of the driverof the vehicle, to the rear of the dashboard 7.

nism 28 to the main tank 1.

by a check valve 62 that closestoward the um p In practical operation,the supply line from the tank 1 to the carburetor (not shown) includesthe pipe 17, the suction and force pump 2, the pipe 53, the elbow 54,the filter bag 46, the auxiliary tank 5, and the pipe 61. The fuel hasto pass throu h the filter bag 46, and im urities in the uel will beretained in the lter bag. The fuel goes forward to the carburetor underadequate and constant pressure. The fuel is kept clean and free frommoisture because it is filtered through the chamois bag 46 underpressure. The filter bagcan be removed and cleaned, upon occasion. Theauxiliary tank 5, which encloses the filter bag 46,'serves as a supplytank for the carburetor, storing up fuel which frequently leaks from thecarburetor. The tank 5 insures a sufficient quantity of gasoline in thecarburetor bowl at all times. The check valve 62 revents fuel fromreturning to the pump 2 rom the auxiliary tank 5, and also aids inpreventing the return of fuel to the tank 1 from the pump when thesystemis not working.

The excess fuel flows through the elbow 45, the pipe 43, and the checkvalve mecha- The cartridgelike nozzle 47 may be easily and quicklymounted in place, it being possible to substitute one nozzle foranother, the bores 48 of the nozzles being different. In this way,,theamount of fuel going back to the main tank 1 through the pipe 43 can beregulated, and the exact pressure to the carburetor through the pipe 61can be attained.

The valve 58 can be manipulated by means of the button 59 to break thepartial vacuum in the auxiliary tank 5. Because the heat of the motorevaporates the more volatile part of the fuel, it is of prime importanceto allow fresh fuel to flow into the carburetor in cold weather, tofacilitate startin or when the carburetor is dry, after stan in idle fora lon time. By manipulating t e valve 58 until the vent 57 of Figure 3is o med, 9. fresh supply of fuel is permitted to ow from the tank 5 tothe carburetor, as and for the purpose specified.

When the fuel falls to a predetermined level in the tank 1, the float 22moved downwardly, and the valve 26 closes, the flowof fuel through thepipe 17 being stopped, and the engine 4 ceasing immediately to operate.In view of the provision of the mechanism of Figure 4, especially inconjunction with the check valve of Figure 7, the auxiliary tank 5 andall of the various pipes remain full, and are never sucked dry of fuel,as

takes place in ordinary mechanisms, when the fuel is permitted to bedepleted complete- 1 As to the'operation of the specific check valve ofFigures 7 and 6, the fuel enters by the inlet 38, traverses the bore 36,enters the chamber 35, after having raised the check valve 40, and movesdownwardly through the flow pipe 43,- and the pipe 17, form a loopshapedconduit, in which the main fuel tank 1 and the force pump 2 areinterposed, the auxiliary or filter tank 5 being interposed in the saidconduit, and being located between the outlet side of the pump and theinlet of the main tank 1. The pipe 61 may be re; ferred to as a thirdpipe, and thenozzle47 may be denominated a reducer.

Having thus described is cl imed is In a device of the class described,a loopshaped conduit, amain liquid tank interposed in the conduit, aforce pump interposed in the conduit, an auxiliary tank interposed inthe conduit and located between the outlet side of the pump and thellflet of the main tank, an outlet for the auxiliary tank,

a vent for the auxiliary tank, a valv ositively closing the vent topermit the pump to maintain an even pressure, and means under thecontrol of an operator for opening the valve, to procure a flow throughthe outlet when the pump is stopped.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature.

ORON N. PHILLIPS.

the invention, what

